Rita Murray Buffington:1994, Linton, Indiana

 


  Rita Murray Buffington was born on August 18th, 1960. Her mother was Vera Louise Tryon. Her father was Ted Murry. (The name is spelled Murry on some documents and Murray on others.) 


  She had a younger brother named Andy Buchanan. 


  Rita went to Shakamak High School. She was in what was known as “Special Education” class in school then. Today, children with disabilities are taught mostly in a regular classroom with their peers. Those needing special instruction like speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy or extra instruction are taken out of their regular class for those extra educational needs. But, in the 1970’s students with special needs were all in one classroom together all day. 



  That was thought to be good for these students. It was thought that they’d be safer and protected from bullying. But, it limited their ability for normal socialization. It limited their ability to receive advanced instruction. Changes were made in later decades to include students with special needs into regular classrooms as much as possible. 


  Rita’s mother Vera Louise Tryon Buchanan passed away in 1988. She was only 46. 


  According to Rita’s death certificate. Rita was married to John Buffington. I didn’t find a marriage license or anything in the newspapers about their marriage. Sometimes in a rural place there’s no newspaper around. So the lack of an announcement is not too surprising. 


  Rita’s occupation at the time of her murder was listed as “homemaker”. So, she wasn’t out working in the community. That can isolate a woman and make her even more vulnerable to abuse. I have not seen any reports of abuse in her home. We don’t know that she was abused and we also don’t know that she wasn’t. 


  On August 6th, 1994, Rita was found in Shady Lake 2 at the Greene-Sullivan State Forest according to articles about her discovery. She had been shot multiple times in the head. 

I did not see a Shady Lake but there is a Shake 1 and Shake 2.  Shake 2 at the lower left corner of the white area of this map has a road that leads close to the edge. Her murderer might not have needed to be a boat owner to transport her there. 


  Her brother was the informant on the death certificate.  That is the person who provides answers about the deceased such as her parent’s names, her date of birth, her occupation. What a sad thing for her brother to have to do. 


 I wonder why her husband did not serve as the informant? 


  An article about her body being found stated that she had been missing for about a week before three fishermen found her in the lake. Her date of death is listed as July 27th 1994 on her headstone. When had she been reported missing though?  


  Rita’s murderer is counting on us not caring about her. As someone with special needs she was extremely vulnerable. The most vulnerable people in our society need our love and care. Rita’s murderer is counting on no one caring enough to solve this case. 


  Was Rita targeted by someone for her disability income? What was the state of her marriage? Did she have neighbors or someone in her life that perhaps was violent with her?



  Rita is buried at Fairview Cemetery in Linton, Indiana. (Victor Hale Lively who murdered Dorothy Lillian Poore in 1954 at the Claypoole Hotel in Indianapolis is coincidentally also buried there. He was born in Texas and spent most of his life in prison in Indiana so it’s strange that he’s there. I wrote about that case a few months ago. Cemeteries can be interesting places sometimes.) 


  Fairview Cemetery is outside Linton and close to Jasonville and Dugger. It’s a well kept cemetery. I hope Rita is at peace there. 


  Rita grew up at a time when she had few opportunities in general. She grew up in a rural area where her opportunities in life were even further limited. 


   Rest in Peace, Rita. 


   If you have information about Rita Murray Buffington’s murder please call the Indiana State Police at (812) 332-4411 or 1-800- 423-1286. 


  






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